Premise 1: The United States entered World War 2 after the Japanese at

Question

Premise 1:  The United States entered World War 2 after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941.

Premise 2:  Before the attack on Pearl Harbor, the United States had a policy of neutrality and did not directly participate in the war. Conclusion: Therefore, the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor caused the United States to enter World War 2.    1

Which of the following, if true, would weaken the conclusion drawn above?

A) The United States had been providing military and economic aid to the Allied Powers before the attack on Pearl Harbor. 
B) The United States had been engaging in secret military operations against Germany and Japan before the attack on Pearl Harbor. 
C) The United States had been conducting naval patrols in the Atlantic and providing escorts for Allied convoys before the attack on Pearl Harbor. 
D) The United States had been engaged in diplomatic talks with Japan to resolve conflicts before the attack on Pearl Harbor. 
E) The United States had a long-standing tradition of intervening in international conflicts to promote democracy and human rights.

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Explanation

The conclusion is that the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor caused the U.S. to enter World War II. The premises establish that before Pearl Harbor, the U.S. was neutral, but after the attack, the U.S. entered the war.

To weaken this cause-effect argument, we should show that:

1. There were other causes that made entering the war inevitable.
2. The U.S. was already acting like a participant before Pearl Harbor, so the attack wasn't truly the decisive cause.
3. The U.S. would have entered the war in the near future regardless.

Option B  says the U.S. had been engaging in secret military operations against Germany and Japan before Pearl Harbor. If true, then the U.S. was already effectively at war (or about to be), so Pearl Harbor didn't cause entry, entry was already happening due to prior actions. This most directly attacks the  "cause"  claim.

Option A  and  C  are supportive acts short of war, which actually make it less surprising that Pearl Harbor led to war, so such facts don't seriously weaken.

Option D  is neutral or even supports that the U.S. was avoiding war, so doesn’t weaken.

Option E  is a vague generalization, not a concrete fact about pre-Pearl Harbor military involvement that changes causation.

Answer: B

JaxTran · Answer

can you explain further the reason why B is not a correct answer

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Hi

(B)  is indeed the correct answer and the same is updated.

Premise 1: The United States entered World War 2 after the Japanese at

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